RVing Virtual Assistant

How Badly Do You Want It?

Remember when you were a kid and started
compiling your Christmas List the day after school started in the fall?
I’m old enough to recall the arrival of the Sears & Roebuck Christmas
Catalog ---- oh what a treasure trove. I wanted this and this and this and
just HAD to have that. Fall passed, leaves fell and Michigan settled in
for the long winter ahead. Nothing mattered to my brother and me except
thumbing through the never-ending array of toys in that catalog. Our
lists were changed and revised so many times it’s a wonder Santa (or Mom) ever
figured out what we REALLY wanted. But somehow the right things always
ended up under the tree on Christmas morning.

Fast Forward 40 (OK ---- make that 50!) years. What
rings my bell today? What do I REALLY want at this time in my
life? Get out a paper and pen and ask yourself that
question. Pretend you’re a child again and the holidays are
approaching. What would be on YOUR Wish List today?

Just as the lists of our childhood
changed daily, the lists of adulthood change daily too. Don’t
misunderstand me --- there’s nothing wrong with dreaming. Without dreams
we’d miss a lot of great opportunities. But at some point we have to
focus our energies in order to realize those dreams.

But I WANT That Job!

Years ago I
interviewed for a job with a well-known trial lawyer. I wanted that job
so very badly --- he’d made national headlines and I just
saw myself zooming to the top of the heap if I worked for him.
Unfortunately he was not so sure. The position he was hiring for required
far less education and experience than I had. And he was smart enough to
appreciate that.

After numerous
interviews and conversations, as I (foolishly) begged him for the opportunity
to work for him, he taught me a valuable lesson. Painful as they were, I
will never forget his words on the phone that evening: “This job will
never challenge you. In a few months you will be bored to tears.
You deserve better. Find the fire in your belly and chase THAT
dream. If you have a fire in your belly, you will do a great job and
enjoy every moment you are doing it. Without that fire, you will waste your
life and lose the respect of those you work with.”

Wow.
Little did I know how long those words would ring in my ears. Over the
years I often witnessed firsthand the wisdom of those words as I watched so
many come into the legal field only to leave a few months later --- totally
disillusioned with a career choice made on the basis of what someone else
wanted.

Memories . . . .

As a child I
remember passing a local shoe salesman at the local diner --- he was in the
process of pouring Bromo Seltzer (an antacid made from acetaminophen, sodium
bicarbonate and citric acid) from one glass to another to dissolve the powder
in the water. This man and my parents had gone to school together and he
was considered a family friend. I asked my Mother what he was doing and
why. Mom said he was taking the foaming liquid for a hangover.
Nobody in my family drank (or at least nobody that I new of at that time), so
the term meant nothing to me. Mom sighed and said unfortunately Harry had
been forced into taking over his Dad's shoe store instead of going on to
college. To hide from his despair, Harry now drank too much.

She added the
same thing happened to the guy who ran the men's clothing store down the
street. In high school I dated Jeff -- the son of the fellow who
owned/ran the men's clothing store. When I returned to my hometown for
Mom's funeral I was was pleased to learn Jeff had become a pharmacist ---
unlike his father, he had been allowed to follow HIS dream.

Granted, we
can’t all work at wonderful jobs all the time. Especially in today’s
economy. But EACH OF US should have a dream – something we really want to
do --- something to aim for. If you really enjoy
making furniture, painting cars, cooking, teaching --- follow those instincts
to your dream. So what if it doesn’t pay $350 an hour. You’ll be
happier doing it, your customers and coworkers will feel that spirit in your
work product and --- ultimately --- you will probably have more work than you
know what to do with. And, should we be lucky enough to work for
ourselves, we should be working TOWARDS that dream.

IS A FIRE BURNING IN YOU TODAY?

Do you
wake up every morning ready to embracethe new opportunities your work
offers? Do you yearn to be the absolute best at what you do? Would
you relish this job, even if you were not paid to do it? Are you on fire for your work?

In
today’s market every business has numerous competitors. What sets you
apart from YOUR competitors is that “fire in your belly.” Clients
recognize that fierce desire and respond positively to it. Like moths to
a light, folks are attracted to that kind of energy.

If
you ARE working at your dream job, just know how lucky you are and honor every
moment you spend living your dream. If you are NOT working at your dream
job, it’s time to decide what you really want to do when you grow-up.
Life is too short to waste. Figure out what lights your fire and go for
it!! We seldom regret what we’ve tried and left behind; we always regret
what we did not do!

Need
help? I’ve helped many folks fight their way through the maze and would be
delighted to help you too. Whatever you do, learn to welcome change and the lightness
it brings to your life.

Don't be afraid --- make new friends. Try something new. It's good to break out of the routine sometimes! And take a moment to relax and meet some of my favorite friends. Laughing is good for the soul and you'll find more than one laugh in here. Enjoy!

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